Canadian Institutes of Health Research Funds TWU Café Scientifique

The TWU School of Nursing, in only its first year, is already making a mark on the community. The School has recently been awarded a grant through The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Canada's agency responsible for funding health research. The award will go towards a series of what are being called Cafés Scientifique that invite the public to engage in open discussions on a variety of health care topics.

“Receiving CIHR funding is an important benchmark for the School of Nursing” says TWU Professor of Nursing Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham who is one of the directors of the project. Dr. Allyson Jule from TWU’s Gender Studies Institute and Dr. Joan Anderson, Professor Emeritus from UBC School of Nursing are co-recipients of the award.

The café series titled “Access to Healthcare — A Gendered Perspective” will consist of three events and will bring in a panel of experts to engage the community in dialogue about access to health care. The cafés also will encourage audiences from a multitude of ethnic and cultural backgrounds to give their voice and will include panelists from Aboriginal, Indo-Canadian, Chinese-Canadian, and Euro-Canadian communities.

“We have a lot to learn about one another from one another,” says Reimer-Kirkham. “We believe that this will be a good step toward building an inclusive community. We are excited to engage the community and see how these discussions will influence future research projects and health care services.”

The first café will be held on January 18th at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Fort Langley. Light refreshments will be served. The Cafés are open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP by January 11th. Future Cafes will be hosted in Langley and Surrey.